Thursday, 23 February 2023

The Sheepskin Coat Retired

Sad, sad, news that the football commentating voice of much of my life, John 'Motty' Motson died today, aged 77.

Motty's Sheepskin Coat
Motty's Sheepskin Coat
Became Iconic After This Shot

Starting commentating in 1968, he covered 10 World Cups, 10 European Championships and 29 FA Cup finals for BBC Sport alone, and then worked for TalkSport radio as a match commentator. 

There will no doubt be stories about him across the news this week, so I won't spend a lot of time on his career .... perhaps the real start of his career, was his commentating on the the Hereford United v Newcastle United FA Cup replay tie for Match Of The Day, on the 5th of February 1972. 

Ronnie Radford Goal Against Newcastle United 1972
Ronnie Radford Goal Against Newcastle United 1972


After retiring from the BBC he returned to commentating for Talksport from 2018, and so hadn't retired upon his death. His death brings to an end a long line of famous football commentators.

Kenneth Wolstenholme, David Coleman, Barry Davies, Brian Moore and John Motson
Football Commentating Legends

From Kenneth Wolstenholme, David Coleman, Barry Davies, Brian Moore and finally 'Motty', the golden age stretched back to the 1950's and with today's sad news that age has ended.

We will not see their like again, and today's squeaky female commentators or lightweight male commentators will never join that pantheon.

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